The National Education, Health, and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) on Monday accused Parliament of negotiating in bad faith and demanded that management come back to the negotiating table within two days.

"In the 2010/11 salary negotiating cycle, management displayed the most blatant disregard for the plight of the workers by negotiating in bad faith," the union said in a statement.

Management had made a package offer of 8.5 percent with conditions of multi-year wage agreement, productivity and union/management co-operation.

Nehawu, having consulted its membership, had rejected the offer and subsequently management withdrew the offer and reverted back to the initial seven percent.

Nehawu is demanding 10 percent, based on the burden of general living conditions on workers.

"We, the members of Nehawu in Parliament want to state categorically that as the union we have lost confidence and patience with the arrogant, stubborn and intransigent management of Parliament," the union said on Monday.

"We have tolerated the ill-treatment and victimisation through unprocedural disciplinary hearings for too long and we now say enough is enough."

'Reactionary tendencies'

There was a litany of examples demonstrating the "reactionary tendencies of management of this institution".

In the past, Parliament used to implement salary adjustments unilaterally without following due process of negotiation with organised labour.

"Gradually, Nehawu has put an end to this unfair practice."

In 2009/10, the union settled, after lengthy negotiations, for a 9.5 percent increase with conditions that certain issues would be reviewed, including total cost-to-company, pay progression, extension of bursaries for children, and increasing staff loans.

None of these issues was addressed by management, which forced the union to pursue other avenues, specifically through the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).

Nehawu described management's 2010/11 salary offer as "an insult to all workers in Parliament".

"This is an insult to the patience and goodwill of the staff of Parliament," it said.

"This even betrays the mandate given to management by the presiding officers of this institution."

Undermined by management

The union said it had been undermined by management throughout the monthly union/management meetings and described these as nothing but talk-shops.

It claimed it had been undermined by management, which had introduced restructuring and privatisation in some sections without consulting the union.

The result had been demotions and casualisation of workers.

It also charged that management had abused its powers by abitrarily dismissing employees without following due process.

"This is victimisation and this is against the latter and spirit of the Labour Relations Act of 1995."

Nehawu demand an end to all these destructive tendencies, an end to the system of total cost to company, victimisation of staff, unprocedural disciplinary actions, and restructuring and privatisation.

"We demand that management must come back to the negotiating table within two days with a reasonable offer"

Nehawu would continue its daily picket lines at the Old Assembly entrance between 200n and 2pm.

Parliament's spokesman was not immediately available for comment.